


Duties over Hearts

by Natorei



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Adultery, F/M, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 11:31:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7616419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natorei/pseuds/Natorei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newly married Lord Edmont Fortemps is assigned as a knight in Camp Dragonhead. A friendship with the local chocobokeep goes further than he expects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Duties over Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> My first completed piece. Advice appreciated. 
> 
> Fill for the FFXIV Kink Meme, prompt: Edmont and Haurchefant's Mother, NSFW, Adultery. The sex that resulted in the conception of our favorite knight. Put in whatever kinks you want, but have it be consensual and loving, if perhaps with a hint of guilt.

For his country, for Ishgard, for the Holy See. First his entry into knighthood, then his marriage for political gain, and now his current assignment guarding Coerthas against Dravanian attack. Edmont knew that his entire life had been dictated by duty, but he didn't mind. His duty made him who he was. And until the day he took his place as count, that meant he was a knight. 

He had been assigned to Dragonhead before; the area was part of his family's sphere of influence, and he was expected to uphold House Fortemps' reputation. That said, his return had been simple and without fanfare, as part of a new contingent of knights high- and lowborn alike. He had never expected to be noticed beyond the occasional bow or formal greeting. 

To Edmont's initial astonishment, and eventually amusement, there had been one person in town to recognize him from his previous assignment there, but not as nobility. She worked in Dragonhead's chocobo stables, and regularly worked with the soldiers and their mounts. 

“Hey! You're that looker from last year. Where'd you go for so long?” she'd asked, jovial as could be, when he first arrived in town and brought his bird to the stables. 

Edmont had smiled faintly as he handed over his bird's reins. “Went home to see the family for a while.” 

“Aww, isn't that sweet. What was your name again?” 

“Edmont.” He had expected that would be enough to give his identity away, but apparently not. 

“Right, right. I'm Yvette. Your bird's beautiful, you must take real good care of him.”

And then she had moved on to the next knight, and taken his bird as well. Edmont had forgotten her name almost instantly; he never expected to deal with her for longer than a few moments at a time. He had been very wrong. 

It had taken him some time to realize that she was paying more attention to him than the other knights, and even longer to realize that she was trying to court him. His first reaction had been revulsion-- he had been married for the better part of a year now, even if his lady wife did stay at the manor while he was in the field. But he was quick to forgive Yvette, perhaps quicker than he should have been. He couldn't wear a ring in armor, and he was enjoying interacting with her without his nobility getting in the way. She often gently mocked him for his devotion to duty, his overtime work, his stoic attitude-- all things that had normally been praised, or even expected, from one of his station. He enjoyed the casual friendship, guilty pleasure though it was. 

Edmont found he truly enjoyed her company. She was bright and boisterous, free and honest and open. He admired these things in her, and wished he could have more of them in his life. He never shirked his duty, or became distracted from his assignments, but in his free time he often sought her out. 

Yvette had first kissed him when they were alone in the stables after a late-night patrol-- he had actually laughed at one of her jokes, and she had praised him for it and given him a quick peck on the lips before shooing him out. 

He had first kissed her after a skirmish victory against a few Dravanians-- filled with the aftereffects of adrenaline, he had made sure he was last in line to the stables, and when she approached him he had dropped his bird's reins, placed his hands on either side of her face, and kissed her with energy. Then he stepped back, coughed, and ran after the rest of his patrol unit without saying anything. That night, he had thought long and hard about whether a lord of a high house was allowed to even consider feeling honest love outside his duty. 

The next time they kissed, she had come up to visit him as he kept watch on the battlements. It had started casual, as quick little things interspersed in the conversation, but somehow escalated. Edmont had kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck; she had sighed at his touches and held herself to him. When she whispered into his ear as he sucked gently at her neck that she loved him, he had frozen, then pushed her away and buried his face in his hands. He knew he could not do this. 

But Yvette didn't leave. She stayed, she expressed her genuine concern for him, even as he refused to even look at her. Not only had he disrespected his assignment by letting himself be distracted, he had disrespected his nobility by pretending it wasn't who he was, and he had disrespected his wife by falling in love with another woman. Perhaps worst of all, he had disrespected Yvette by keeping all these things secret. And yet, here she was, trying to comfort him. 

He truly did not deserve her. 

Edmont told her all the secrets he had been withholding then, standing atop the battlements, his eyes fixed on the barren snow instead of on her as she stood at his side. He told her about his office and his full name and his political marriage, and he told her that he had been leading her on, manipulating her, lying to her. 

“Why didn't you tell me?” she had asked. It was gentle, a simple question rather than an accusation. 

Edmont was unable to answer for several minutes. Because he liked her treating him like a friend instead of a lord? Because he felt more emotional attachment to her than anyone else, including his carefully-selected wife? Because he didn't want rumors to spread? 

“Because I was afraid you would leave.” 

As soon as he had said it, he regretted it. He screwed up his face in an effort to hide the tears beginning to appear in his eyes. “No, I don't mean it like that. I don't want you to feel trapped-- you have every right to leave-- I lied to you--”

Yvette placed a light hand on his back as she stepped close to his side. “You don't want me to feel like a nobleman's plaything.”

“No,” he choked. “You're precious to me. I'm so sorry.” 

They spent the rest of the night standing wordlessly together. 

After his confession, Edmont had expected Yvette to lose interest in him at best, hate him at worst, but she did neither. All that changed as that she slowed down a little, allowed him room to open up. She talked with him about his family, his home in the Pillars in Ishgard, his parents and his wife. Edmont was always uncomfortable talking about his marriage, but Yvette didn't seem to mind-- “What you have to do for your job and what you really need aren't always the same thing,” she would say. 

He accepted, over the days and weeks, that he loved her, and that she still loved him despite his mistakes. He felt at peace with it, and enjoyed their evening time together and the quick meetings at the stables. He felt more relaxed in her presence than perhaps anyone else he knew. 

This, too, may have been a mistake. 

Edmont was informed in a terse, formal letter from his father Count Fortemps that rumors of an affair had reached Ishgard, and that Edmont would be ending his assignment at Dragonhead within the week. His initial response had been anger-- how dare his father interfere in his personal decisions-- but he soon accepted it. He had a duty to perform, and however much he wished otherwise, that duty did not involve Yvette. 

She had scoffed and joked when she heard, poking fun at the count and nobles and appearances, but she also soon sobered. She knew that Edmont, even though he loved her, would never shirk his duty. 

It was Yvette that suggested that, since the rumors already existed, he may as well come back to her home with her for a night. 

Her quarters were in one of the few civilian apartments in Dragonhead, a tiny and cramped place mashed into the basement of a building near the walls. But it was hers, and Edmont could barely contain his awe of being allowed in. She laughed at his reverence and welcomed him effortlessly into her space. They talked, she served Coerthan hot chocolate, and soon she was on his lap, kissing him deeply, feeling the beginnings of his arousal. 

“Are you really sure?” he asked, slightly breathless after a long kiss. “I don't want to cause you trouble or hurt you--”

“You couldn't hurt me if you tried,” Yvette interrupted with a laugh. 

Edmont glanced away from her. “That's not what I meant.” 

“I know,” she said, and kissed him again. “I'll manage.” 

“Then perhaps we should find your bed?” 

They stood up, and Yvette held his hand as she led him there, smiling widely. She was beautiful, and if she was willing, Edmont wanted nothing more than to give her pleasure.

Her tunic came off easily, and Edmont trailed kisses across her mouth, her jaw, her neck, her collar bone, as they stood at the side of the bed. She gasped lightly as his lips continued down between her breasts, then over to circle her hardening nipple. He placed his mouth over it, and began to gently suck; she gave a small whimper of arousal and he smiled against her breast. 

As he worked, he moved his hands down her sides, and began to work at unfastening her trousers. She was quick to try to help him, and he allowed her to push her trousers off her hips, but he gently kept her hands away to let him handle her smallclothes himself. 

Edmont paused briefly to lead her to sit on the edge of the bed, then resumed kissing and sucking with equal enthusiasm at her other breast as he knelt on the floor in front of her. Urging her legs apart, he brushed a finger along her folds, then pushed it inside her. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, speaking without fully removing his lips from her breast. 

“Yes,” she breathed. “More?” 

He couldn't refuse her, and soon he had two fingers working inside her, moving easily. She was beautiful, and she was moaning softly with each thrust of his fingers, and he could smell her arousal. He had had sex before, but he had never experienced an attraction or a need like he did for her. 

“Yvette,” he said, his voice hoarse, “can I--”

“Please.”

He let out a low moan when he heard the desire in her voice. Unfastening his trousers with his free hand, he pushed them and his smallclothes off in one motion, then removed his fingers from her and stood up. She whimpered softly at the emptiness. 

“I love you,” he said as he lifted her tenderly and laid her on the bed, positioning himself above her. His erection hung over her, but he hesitated. 

“Please,” Yvette repeated softly. 

Edmont leaned down to kiss her lips, and she moaned into the kiss as he pushed himself slowly inside her. 

They began slowly, tenderly, whispering and kissing as they did. Her body tensed and grew tight around him as he moved, desperately trying to stay controlled through the haze of desire. Then, “Fuck me,” she whispered into his lips, and he was in control no longer. 

She cried his name as she came around him, and he finished silently only moments after, thrusting as he peaked and spilled his seed inside her. 

They lay, breathing heavily a few moments, before Edmont found his voice again. “Are you alright?” 

Yvette murmured her assent. 

“You're sure you wanted to do this?” 

“Mhmm,” she said, kissing him gently. “You were perfect.” 

He let out a deep sigh of relief, snuggled in beside her, and was asleep in moments. 

The next day, the entirety of Dragonhead was full of gossip spreading like wildfire about how the heir to House Fortemps had been seduced by a commoner. Neither Edmont nor Yvette seemed to mind, spending their day as usual. That evening, hasty Fortemps riders arrived to remove Edmont from Dragonhead. When he picked up his chocobo from the woman in the stables, none of them noticed their touch linger when she handed him the reins.


End file.
